Bolder Ukrainian Attacks Raise Moscow’s Hackles

Ukraine in recent days appears to have ramped up not only its counterattacks against stepped up Russian military maneuvers in the Donbas but inside the Russian Federation as well — and that does not sit well with Moscow.Fires on Monday that engulfed a major oil depot in the Russian city of Bryansk, about 70 miles north of the Ukrainian border, were possibly caused by Ukrainian ballistic missile strikes. If so, it’s a clear indication that Kyiv is taking the fight against Vladimir Putin well behind enemy lines. It would not be the first time. Earlier this month the Kremlin accused Ukraine of launching an airstrike on an oil depot at Belgorod, a Russian city north of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. In that incident, attack helicopters are said to have triggered the explosions and subsequent fires at the depot. On Tuesday morning Russian media were reporting that twin explosions rocked the village of Mayak in Transnistria, a pro-Russian breakaway region of Moldova. The attacks, of uncertain provenance, took out two powerful antennas of a radio center that broadcast Russian radio. A rocket-propelled grenade on Monday struck a government building at Tiraspol, the nominal capital of Transnistria. Are these attacks a message to Moscow? In recent days and notably prior to them, Ukraine’s president, Volodymr Zelensky, said that he believed Russia might try to launch an attack on Ukraine from Russian-controlled Transnistria.As for the oil depot blazes, Russia’s Investigative Committee, the country’s equivalent of the FBI, said it was launching an inquiry but did not speculate on the cause of the blazes, the Telegraph reported. Observers believe that they were caused by Ukrainian missile strikes or sabotage teams.Following Monday’s attacks in Russia and Transnistria the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, lashed out at Ukraine in Russian state media. While he downplayed the risk of nuclear escalation, Mr. Lavrov expressed frustration with the West: “We have a feeling that the West wants Ukraine to continue to fight, to continue, as they think, to wear out, exhaust the Russian army and the Russian military-industrial complex — this is an illusion,” he said on Russia’s Channel One. He also slammed Mr. Zelensky: “If you look not at the external manifestations of his talents, he is a good actor … but if you look closely and read the essence of what he says, you will find a thousand contradictions there,” he said. Mr. Lavrov’s remarks also came after Russian airstrikes targeted five train stations in central and western Ukraine on Monday. While there were civilian casualties, the Kremlin was likely seeking to disrupt the flow of weapons shipments from points west. In a Facebook post, Ukraine’s military command said, “They are trying to destroy the supply routes of military-technical assistance from partner states. To do this, they focus strikes on railway junctions.”Another Mass Grave in MariupolA third mass grave in the vicinity of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol has been identified, according to the Ukrainian news site NV. Two other mass graves near the center of the mostly destroyed city were found earlier this month, the presence of which appeared to be confirmed by satellite imagery. At least two of the mass graves appear to have been dug at or adjacent to cemeteries extant before the war began. An estimated 10,000 civilians of Mariupol are buried in the improvised graves dug by Russian occupying forces. Additionally, “To hide the traces of their crimes, the Russian occupiers brought to Mariupol at least 13 mobile crematoria,” NV reported.Mariupol has been under siege by the Russians since March 1. According to multiple reports 95 percent of the buildings have been destroyed by Russian shelling and up to 22,000 civilians have died as a result of Russian actions. There is no running water or electricity in the city. There are at least 1,000 civilians in the underground shelters of the Azovstal iron and steel works, which is under Russian attack, including air strikes. Ukrainian authorities have estimated that about 120,000 civilians are trapped in Mariupol.Next Three Weeks ‘Critical’The British defense secretary, Ben Wallace, said that 15,000 Russian troops have been killed in fighting in Ukraine and that its losses of materiel are also adding up — to the tune of 2,000 lost armored vehicles, including at least 530 tanks that have been destroyed or captured and 60 downed helicopters and fighter jets.Mr. Wallace reportedly said Britain will give Ukraine a “small number” of Stormer vehicles fitted with launchers for anti-air missiles. British arms already sent to Ukraine include more than 5,000 anti-tank missiles, five air defense systems with more than 100 missiles, 1,360 anti-structural munitions, 4.5 tons of plastic explosives, and Starstreak high-/low-velocity anti-air missiles. More anti-ship missiles and armored vehicles are on the way, but in the defense secretary’s estimation Ukraine also needs more long range artillery and ammunition. He said the next three weeks of Russia’s war in Ukraine are “critical.”IKEA Coming to Mykolaiv?While the war in Ukraine may be far from over, reconstruction efforts are already afoot in places, or at least there is planning for them. Mr. Zelensky said over the weekend that he has been having talks with foreign leaders about the subject and that Ukraine’s goal is for each particular region destroyed by Russian forces to be taken on by a particular country. He said that Britain stands ready to help rebuild the region around Kyiv and Sweden said it is willing to rebuild Mykolaiv. While that probably doesn’t mean an IKEA will be opening in that badly damaged city anytime soon, it does point to the clear attenuation of hostilities in some parts of Ukraine, even as the war drags on in others.It also means tethering Ukraine to Europe in the future, at least commercially. “I think our EU path will be much faster if EU countries will be tied to Ukraine with such a large-scale project,” Mr. Zelensky said.

Bolder Ukrainian Attacks Raise Moscow’s Hackles

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